Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Since I am way too late to write about Deadpool (only having seen it last week), I will make up for this by writing about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (referred to as BvS from hence forth).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Batman_v_Superman_poster.jpg

For this piece I shall be writing on what may make it work for viewers and what may break it for viewers. BvS is a painfully average film. It does not break new grounds nor does it fall flat on its face. It just stands there awkwardly wondering why its sprinting is making everyone laugh while willfully ignoring the glaring holes in its pants. On the other hand, it is trying to sprint. There are reasons why I believe this film may entertain some and why it will disappoint others so here goes.
[Thank you Google Image search]

What makes it:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/Comic_Art_-_Batman_by_Jim_Lee_%282002%29.png

Batman, or an alternate take on the character (not pictured above). For this film, the Batman here is a veteran hero in contrast to the relatively beginner hero that is Superman. This is a rather interesting take on Bruce as the movie presents this Bruce as someone so worn out from a seemingly unsuccessful superhero career that he is unstable and reckless at times due to his experiences. Ben Affleck, at least from where I was viewing, does manage to portray this new alternate take of Bruce Wayne in a way that I found acceptable. In addition to this, the action involving the Batman is awesome to watch with some moves reminiscent of the Arkham games (with one rather significant detail I may hint at later). As Bruce Wayne, Ben Affleck was rather decent for the most part and Batman's action sequences are entertaining to watch.

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/9/95/Wonder_Woman_0024.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140728202508

Wonder Woman. She does not get a lot of time focused on her but she works. At least this Wonder Woman is far superior to the one of infamous pilot episode for the TV show that never happened and does not leave anyone with pants to be darkened. As Diana, Gal Gadot is able to portray a rather strong, independent woman who knows how to tease her equals while being a civilian. As Wonder Woman, she was serviceable and used Wonder Woman's tools properly (unlike the infamous pilot and that unfortunate reference involving the lasso). She did not appear enough to win me over but as it stands, the Wonder Woman movie could tide me over plus the writers were smart enough to not cram her backstory here (unlike another backstory I will mention later).

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/batman/images/2/2a/Alfred_BVS.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150731170400&path-prefix=es

Alfred is decent. Jeremy Irons was able to play a decent Alfred, loyal to Master Wayne but able to throw out snarky remarks under his breath to express disapproval. I would say more but since I do not actually know a lot about Alfred, aside from his loyalty to Bruce and his cause along with his concern for Bruce and his snark, I will refrain from critiquing Alfred. I will say that his character here does attempt to bring in some humour to balance out the dark and dreary DC universe of the films. 

(No picture here unless I want to get caught for recording in the cinema)

The visuals. They look stunning. The action looks good (substance differs in quality at times). The murder of the Waynes had some decent visual flair here and there. There is more colour here than in Man of Steel. That is all I will say since I rarely place any real value on visuals but I do acknowldge its effect on viewers. This is probably what the average viewer will be paying to see (making me one of the non-average viewers then).

What breaks it

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/lotr/images/f/f3/Troll.png/revision/latest?cb=20070414124418

Doomsday. I am willing to spoil his presence in this film since the trailers already spoiled his presence in the film. I hated it when I saw the trailer and I hated him in this film. Aside from being a smaller cave troll from Lord of the Rings visually, I hated his presence in the story as Doomsday's role here ultimately serves as the common ground for the three heroes to unite against. A plot device like he was in his actual role in the comics (the Death of Superman precise to be precise). The impact of his actions however is the main part I hated about this film. To avoid spoiling this major plot point, I will only say this: his role here and the impact of his actions are implemented far too early and wastes future usage of Doomsday in a future DC film. He also looks horrible compared to other iterations of Doomsday so there's my petty gripe out there. At least they kinda got his abilty to become immune to attacks that could harm him... I guess? The way they did it here is visually annoying to be frank. While normal viewers may overlook this flaw, people who have an understanding of the comics may get annoyed with the CGI mess that is Doomsday.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Juniorposter.jpg

Lex Luthor. Or rather Lex Luthor JUNIOR as some will insist. Whatever, the film promoted him as the Lex Luthor of this film so I will compare him to the Lex Luthor I do know (while using a pointless image to illustrate my lack of concern for that insisted label). This Lex Luthor acts more like a poor man's Joker with whimsical antics followed by tranquil madness and constantly disjointed spoken lines that try to hint that there is a 'method' to his madness. The trailer already gave me a bad impression of Eisenberg's Lex and this movie flat out justifies it. Nowhere did I see the cold, egotistical and corrupt corporate executive with intelligence rivalling Brainiac in this film but instead I was left with the antics of that one person who thinks that acting like the Joker is cool. Aside from his antics, Lex's motives for trying to eliminate Superman is rather unclear. From what I can tell, he believes that Superman is some kind of monster for being a godlike being and since god cannot be good, he must kill him before he becomes a threat? It's rather peculiar way of thinking that suggests irrational hate (like what one finds on the Internet) rather than proper motivations that the proper Lex usually has (the irrational part is how long he can hold on to his hatred of Superman but his selfishness often allows him to cast blame on Superman for his actual flaws). So his reasons for instigating the film's events were pretty much bonkers. Combined with his cringe-worthy antics, I left the film with the opinion that Lex Luthor was horribly miscast in this film (no offence to Jesse Eisenberg, I did like Zombieland and Social Network). The Lex here is too Joker-like that it could turn off people, especially those who know what kind of person Lex Luthor is supposed to be.

https://www.askideas.com/media/11/Funny-Cat-Fight-Picture.jpg

The actual conflict. It is one primarily forced by two individuals. Batman who wants to take out Superman after witnessing the destruction caused by Superman leading to his single-minded conclusion that Superman could eventually become a threat to the world (though what Superman and Zod did to Metropolis do count) and Lex Luthor who wants someone to kill Superman because... orcas? (see previous paragraph for what I think Lex's motivations are)  The film does build up on Batman's eagerness to finish off a threat and even includes a decent montage of prep while having actual motivation and reasons for picking a fight. Batman however does show an irrational stubbornness when Alfred brings up the notion that the clash is irrational and his basis for Superman being a lethal threat becomes shakier with his actions in mind as compared with Superman's actions. Superman's reason for getting into the fight is... rather stupid. It does involve Lex and the way it leads up to the actual clash is pretty damn silly in retrospect. I even could, in the span of five minutes, think of ways that Superman could counter Lex's plans and how he could even avoid such a clash. The fight itself plays out in a similar vein to the Dark Knight Returns (comic and film) with Batman being crazy prepared and Superman holding back against an opponent he does not wish to harm. Since Kryptonite is in this film, it sadly plays out like the Dark Knight Returns (and I spoil this with no shame since it is rather obvious this is how the film will play out). The fight itself barely takes up time in the film when compared to the drawn out drama of the film. The reason for the conflict ending though is pathetically hilarious and stupid. All I will say is that a lucky coincidence can often mean the difference between life and death. People expecting a proper fight between the titular characters will probably be disappointed or left wanting more.

https://www.askideas.com/media/14/Bored-Clipart.jpeg

The drawn out drama. Initially, the film seemed to be a film to question the consequences and ramification of having an independent god-like being like Superman on Earth who answers to no one that is capable of mass destruction but is able to protect those under his care. Rather than continue with these notions and ideas, the film drags on without exploring these ideas properly. There is even a bit of drama on Superman's side as he begins to wonder if he is supposed to be a hero when he is still unable to prevent harm. This bit however was kinda left hanging with a dream sequence. The film had some good ideas that could have been explored but most of them end unsatisfactorily like a feverish wank. Drama is necessary for a serious story but when the approach is done half-heartedly and drawn out, the drama feels like a chore to sit through which could harm this film. [EDIT: I forgot to mention the dream sequences. These sequences were dull in my opinion and only served to set up future movies as all the sequences do is foreshadow. I get that the film is supposed to set up future films but when it is that obvious and serves no purpose to the film itself, the sequences may feel unnecessary and drawn out in order to lengthen running time]

(Cannot find an appropriate picture depicting an edge-lord)

The dark and edgy take on the DC film universe. As a result there is barely any humor and few lighthearted moments to balance out the dark dreary reality of the DC film universe (a filmverse if you will). I understand that some works can be dark and dreary but still entertain like Dark Souls and Berserk but when the works are unable to balance out the dark and dreary state of the world with some appropriate light-heartedness, the dark and dreary elements become cringe-worthy (like Attack on Titan) and dull where all the audience ends up feeling is apathy. I do applaud the effort to balance this with Jeremy Irons' Alfred being someone who shoots appropriate sarcastic quips under his breath. The problem of this kind of apathy is the risk that the apathetic viewer will then wind up finding comedy in unexpected and unintended places. I, for one, found myself laughing at the 'tense' moments as I began thinking of ridiculous scenarios in the context of those moments (like Batman needing to get better car insurance and that sort). The alternative is boredom and that has a far worse impact on films in the long run.

Credit to: http://hellacre13.tumblr.com/post/131622085972/lancelot45-look-i-know-some-people-like-this

Lois Lane. There is not a lot of chemistry between Clark and Lois here. They just seem like a couple who got together (in the previous film) just because the plot said so. The bathtub scene around the start was the only time I felt that there was a real romantic spark between the two. Aside from that, there is a lot of talking, destiny reminding, and  "I have faith in you" speeches that crop up far too often, making their relationship seem less natural. Lois herself mostly acts as a damsel in distress and the few action sequences she has end up making her into an even more vulnerable damsel in distress. She does not have real relevance to the plot except as Superman's damsel and possible moral chain so her scenes only serve to move the story rather than to add depth or character to both Superman and Lois. What truly made her a negative point to this film in my opinion is the sheer stupidity of her actions in the film's climax that highlight her role as damsel in distress too clearly. I will not spoil her actions but the sheer stupidity of her action will make one question her actual role and significance in the DC film universe. Hopefully future films will remember to give personality to Lois rather than make her a living plot device and damsel (as the film seems to imply). I bring this up since I do feel that this Lois may end up feeling less like a character and more like a living piece of furniture to furnish future Superman films.

http://izismile.com/2010/12/28/all_about_batman_71_pics.html

Batman. Once again, another film with Batman introduced starts out with his origin story and I immediately mock the film for it. It is a story that most people know already but screen time winds up being wasted to remind the viewer of Batman's origin story. Aside from that, this Batman is different enough from the normal Batman that viewers may have the expression pictured above when seeing him in action. I will avoid spoiling what I mean but those who do know will be aware why some viewers will react that way. That aforementioned difference does make this Batman seem hypocritical at times as while he claims that Superman is a threat to humans, Batman's actions... are harmful to say the least. His irrationality also makes him completely blind to Luthor's schemes which is an outcry to the World's Greatest Detective (who uses technology mostly to solve crimes honestly) who could pick up such manipulations quickly. People with knowledge of Batman may be put off by this iteration of Batman. I was not as put off simply by remembering that this Batman is a veteran from a failed career as a superhero.

Summary:
I know this looks like I hate this film but honestly, all I feel is disappointment and pity. Disappointment because the film's potential was wasted and pity because I had a strong idea on where the film went wrong. From what I can gather from this film, the problem it had was how DC wanted to compete against Marvel and to set up the future Justice League film so quickly that it brought in so many elements into one film and tried to cram it in; a dangerous move for any film. A long introduction to this Batman and a thankfully brief intro to Wonder Woman should not have been crammed in this film. These introductions should have been in their own separate and independent films. Due to these flaws, BvS ends up feeling like an average film rather than an entertaining and strong instalment to the DC films. While Suicide Squad is still on its way, I am retaining my pessimism when it comes to DC films. Note though that I am carrying a similar amount of pessimism for Civil War as well since it does have way too many characters in one film and not enough time to focus on all of them. If the reader does not agree with this point of view, I do not blame the viewer. Whether it be from hype, genuine fondness or seeing it drunk, BvS is a watch-able film though I think money could be spent on something else like groceries, another film or Resident Evil 4. 

I should get back to Resident Evil 4 then.




What makes it
Batman
Wonder Woman
Alfred
The visuals

What breaks it
Doomsday
Lex Luthor
Actual conflict
Drawn out drama
Dark and edgy take on the DC film universe
Lois Lane
Batman

Digimon Adventure tri. 2: Ketsui

Since Erased might be attempting to adapt the entire completed manga series its based on, I guess I will talk about a different anime. This is rather late considering that the subs came out a week ago but bear with me reader, I have been marathoning Planescape: Torment again (plus I do have to study).

Digimon Adventure tri. 2: Ketsui is the second instalment of the Digimon Adventure tri movie series. Will this instalment fare better than the first instalment or will it be as underwhelming as the first? Just remember if you do not agree with my opinion, no problem. Our opinions differ and there is no problem with that.

(I'll be using a mix of the Japanese and English names in my post)

What makes it
More Digimon. That is all I need to say. The first film took a while to get to showing the Digimon in order to showcase the Digidestined as teenagers. While this is usually essential to showcase the current situations of the characters and their current status quo, it can be a dangerous sequence to do in a show if the viewer winds up feeling like the sequence dragged on for too long. Here, the Digimon are already present so the show is able to show more of their interactions in the human world with the people and objects in it. While there are segments dedicated solely to the human characters, the Digimon do have more screen time this time and the balance struck here does feel like an improvement over the previous film. Plus their presence from the start of the film did not make the first twenty minutes (approximately) without action feel like a drag unlike the first film that went on for too long.
The conflicts focused on. While I still feel that Tai is being overly angsty in this film, I do feel more invested in seeing how the conflicts focused in this episode would be resolved. The focus lies on Jo and Mimi who are having their own problems and issues. Mimi's problems are related to her self-centered ways that are often ignorant of other views. This comes to a head in this film as her own opinions on how to handle the Digimon intrusions winds up having more harm in the long run for the Digidestined. While her personal conflict does get explored and resolved in a decent manner, it was Jo's conflict that I did get more invested in. Like the first film, Jo has been less inclined to meet up with the Digidestined to focus on his studies to get into college. As a result, he ends up missing a number of important battles as the film goes on due to shifting priorities. Maturity is the main element in the conflicts arising here as Mimi is not mature enough (initially) while Jo is being too mature resulting in shifting priorities. For me, I felt that Jo's conflict was the more interesting as Joe has to focus on two increasingly important priorities. Due to his rather poor grades and his own difficult dream to be a doctor, Jo is left stressed from his studies and the expectations around him (the two banners in front of his desk do not help). At the same time, he has his responsibilities to the Digidestined and his partner, Gomamon which he does care about. This inability to balance these priorities wind up being the main crux of Jo's problems as he attempts to place his future as a priority but still fully aware that he has a responsibility to his close friends. This conflict of interests do reach a head at some parts and personally, I do understand why Joe would prioritise his future over fighting battles with his comrades. Both have long term consequences but the difficulty of planning for a future can feel more important. That said, I do disagree with how Jo approaches his problem as he unconsciously alienates himself from the group and from Gomamon in particular. While he does has some priorities straight, it should not have come at the cost of his obligations to his partner and friend. The only downside to the conflicts explored here is the method used to resolve the conflicts as they do seem rushed. (Here's a hint how they solve it: The power of...)
A decent onsen sequence. No, seriously. After all the cliched onsen (hot spring) scenes I have seen pop up in sub-par anime shows, it is gratifying to see even some variation. In here, it is the girls going in the male side of the baths and for the most part, it is done with more taste than I have seen in a long while. That is all I can say about it really.
Ship-teasing. This is an odd thing to say here but it does draw in some viewers so I will consider this as an element that makes the show. Old favourites like Takeru and Hikari are brought up again while Koushiro and Mimi are teased as strongly as the previous film. Meiko's other main purpose in the story, aside from MacGuffin and brand new character, seems to be for teasing ship-sinking. 

What breaks it
Rushed mega-evolutions. In this film (as indicated by the poster), there are new mega-evolutions introduced for the Digimon belonging to the two characters focused on. The good news is that they do show up. The bad news about this is how short it felt. At the final fight for this film (not the last one though), Mimi and Jo's Digimon are able to achieve their Mega forms for the fight (Rosemon for Mimi and Vikemon for Jo) which evens out the difficulty of said fight. The problem is how long it took for the evolution (no Warp Evolution) and how quickly the battle ends up being resolved. Others may find it to be of a decent length but for me, it was too short as it seemed focussed on flashy effects and explosions (as a basic Digimon battle should) that only lasted for a couple of minutes against an opponent that did not put up much of a fight (the opponent in question will not disclosed to avoid spoilers but I will say that the opponent was a particularly powerful Digimon). [Extra note: This is not a criticism or a flaw but merely an added note. There are jiggle physics on Rosemon. That is all I will say about it.]
Too much angst still present especially with Taichi. One part of the previous film I disliked about it is Tai's angst that is being used to present his 'maturity'. Since he is now 'mature', it means that he broods and gets worried about the consequences. While I am still aware that people do worry about consequences (I worry on a regular basis), I do not like the excessive emphasis on how this is the trait that shows how he is 'mature'. While there is a better ratio between cheerfulness and angst, the angst is still just as annoying as ever with even Hikari calling him out on his bullshit in one scene I did enjoy. Angst can be used to show maturity in some cases but it has to be tempered with human traits or must have valid reasons for the angst to even be there lest it induces apathy. Destruction caused by forces beyond his control does not justify all of Taichi's angst for me. It has lessened slightly here so I can give them credit for that. Also the whole Taichi vs Yamato conflict feels rather drawn out like it did in the original show.
Animation quality drops. While not as noticeable as the first film, there are instances where the animation does drop. I especially noticed the drop during the final fight in the film where the Digimon models seemed off. It was not as bad as the first film though as I only noticed the drops during the end whereas the first film already laid its cards on the table after the show started.

Overall thoughts:
I liked it a bit more than the first film. It made some improvements over the first and one of the conflicts explored in the film was able to keep me invested in the film. It has a long way to go though before it could hope to match the original series nor could it match Our War Game. It would seem that Hikari and Takeru will be the focus of the next film which will shed some light on what happened to the second generation team of Digidestined.





[SPOILER ALERT]
Brief notes taken while watching:

• The Digimon Emperor is back?
• More Digimon in the show. Nice.
• The ships are being teased (and Mei's presence in the group could be for ship-sinking)
• A reverse onsen situation where its the girls invading rather than the guys. Nice...
• Ogremon and Leomon, eh? Looks like Leomon's gonna die again...
• Mimi critics may finally get something out of this episode
• Focussed on Joe and Mimi (one matured too quickly, the other is not maturing enough) 
• Ah Joe... I feel some of your pain (I did make it into pre-U after all)
• Mimi learned a valuable lesson: Selfishness can be tempered with sincere compassion so that it does not override the views of others. 
• Dang it, Ken! Must we deal with those Dark Spores again? Or is it someone else? The hair is really throwing me off.
• Shippers are everywhere in this show. Like in the previous episode.
• Leomon-senpai... I have a bad feeling that Meicoomon will be the one killing Leomon here. Good thing he likes em small.
• Yamato has horrible taste in names. Why not the Moody Loners instead?
• Oh Koshiro... I fear for your heart when the obligatory beach episode arrives and Mimi shows up in her swimsuit.
• Tai is still suffering his angst issues to make him seem 'mature'. It just seems retarded to focus on that for so long.
• Looks like the Digimon Emperor is back again.
• A dark Imperialdramon?! What happened to the second gen Digi-Destined?
• The power of friendship solves Joe's problems.  
• Well the mega-evolutions came rushing in but it is nice to see them getting their mega forms. Kinda rushed though.
• Also, jiggle physics because anime!
• Perhaps the weird Digi-Code prophecy refers to suffering adult problems that induce apathy and depression before overcoming it with the power of friendship.
• I was right?! And looks like Himekawa is in on Meicoomon's virus behaviour. (Perhaps Meicoomon is an artificial digimon created by humans to destroy the Digimon world)
• Cliffhanger... And something tells me that the Digimon Emperor is not Ichijouji since Himekawa was the one who suggested that he was and she's obviously in on the events going on. Or it is Ken but there is some corrupt government conspiracy focussed on the Digimon World?

A Look at Pillars of Eternity: Part 2

The adventures of Crariewan continues. After escaping from an ambush, a biawac and a secret ritual, Crariewan makes her way towards Gilded Vale. She is currently plagued by strange visions and images as she journeys towards the village.

Walking with her giant miniature space piglet, the path moves towards a small clearing in the forest.

Displayed above is a status effect, namely fatigue which has dire consequences in combat. So I will set up camp in the next screen shot.

See? In the initial release, I do not recall having these options appear whenever I set up camp which does provide some incentives for camping in the wild. While I am here I will point out a feature of Pillars I do not like, namely the limited number of camping gear. While it does prevent the exploits used in older CRPGs, it does limit the options available as the low number available discourages use of camping gear. It is not a game breaking issue but it is an annoyance whenever everyone in a party is severely injured and we are unable to rest since we already used up all the camping gear in a previous area.

And now the visions are leaking into Crariewan’s dreams. This cannot be good for her sanity.

Pictured here is the aftermath of a battle involving bandits who have kidnapped a chef for cooking lessons.

By rescuing the dwarf chef, Crariewan have earned some approval with the village he is affiliated with, namely Gilded Vale. Her current destination.

This here is Nonton, a hunter who claims to have lost his partner to a bear that lives across this river in a nearby cave. This calls for an investigation!

After Crariewan gets to Gilded Vale, of course. Now that she’s nearing Gilded Vale, her ordeals may be drawing to a close.

Or not. That tree was not in any brochure about Gilded Vale nor were the limp ornaments. 

From this person, Crariewan learns of Waidwen’s Legacy and the Hollowborn affliction. According to this person, Waidwen’s Legacy is the aforementioned affliction that has resulted in most new-born babies being born without a soul, leaving them as empty husks incapable of prolonged life. The Legacy is said to be the direct result of killing Waidwen, the supposed and self-proclaimed mortal avatar of Eothas (Crariewan’s patron god), who attempted to conquer the Dyrwood some time ago.

Here, Crariewan attempts to explain her situation. It ends with no one giving proper advice to her.

Three tolls of the bell. Lord Raedric, the lord of Gilded Vale and the person responsible for the tree’s ornaments, had another Hollowborn child in his family. I’m sure his family will be fine…

This person has a picture in his conversation window. I doubt he’ll be important…

Another person with a picture but this time, he’s in a pickle. Seems that the elf has angered the locals with some harsh insults and now they want him to pay with his life. I guess I’ll have Crariewan attempt to diffuse the situation.

Or not…

After being honest with the elf, he offers to join Crariewan. Since Aloth here is a wizard and I do need magic, I’ll have Crariewan give him a warm welcome.

Remember that chef Crariewan helped? He works in the Black Hound Inn and now Crariewan is receiving the rewards of helping him.

Now this conversation chain will lead to an interesting mechanic of the game that I do like.

From this screen, I can hire an adventurer to my party. Hiring said adventurer will open the character creator screen again, allowing me to make any person I want to make. Since Crariewan is low on money, I will not be showing that process today.

Here’s that chef right now and my reward is a new crafting recipe to cook up. Literally; it’s a recipe for pie.

Whenever the player clicks on certain containers in certain places, the mouse pointer will indicate that the player will be stealing these items from the owners. Taking these items will lead to a hostile reaction unless the player characters are in scouting mode. The menu above also indicates that the player will be stealing the goods.

Throughout the world, there are books that flesh out the world of Pillars of Eternity. Reading some of these books can shed some light on the lore and history of Eora.

This is another feature of Pillars I do not particularly like. As part of the Kickstarter rewards, Obsidian allows backers of a certain tier to insert NPCs based on themselves with stories made by said backers. While some are interesting to read, this all amounts to flavour text as none of these have any effect on any quests leading to me ignoring them entirely.

Here is the namesake of the inn, the eponymous Black Hound. Some history: The Black Hound is named after the cancelled Baldur's Gate 3: The Black Hound, which never came into fruition and would have been a separate story from the Bhaalspawn Trilogy. 

I want a new pet now so I will have Crariewan coax the hound into following her. 

Success! Crariewan now has a new pet with terrestrial origins.

Now this is a decent feature. Inns have different types of rooms that confer different benefits. While the player never gets to see the different rooms in-game, the benefits of these rooms can be useful during game-play as the buffed stats and skills can open up more options in the right situations.

Another odd dream. I guess the tree had an impact on Crariewan.

What in Eora is a Watcher? Crariewan has been called many things by angry villagers but Watcher is new.

Since I forgot to level up Aloth earlier, I will do so now. Since he is a wizard, I get to choose new spells for him as well.

Here’s a corpse with a soul attached. In-game, souls highlighted like in the screenshot can be interacted with, leading to revelations, insight, clues or solutions. 

Now for the conversation. Seems that this 'ornament' was an animancer. Animancers are researchers that research the mechanics and essence of the soul in Eora. Since souls are a proven fact in Eora, research into souls would definitely exist. Animancy however happens to be a controversial field of study and has faced heavy opposition as a result. This particular animancer however has insight on Crariewan’s condition.

Seems Crariewan is a Watcher. Due to a significant event, Crariewan’s past life had Awoken. An Awakening is a phenomena that occurs as a result of a past life of a person becoming aware and awakening in said person. The effects of this tend to be problematic. In this case, due to the profound effect of the event resulting in the Awakening of the past life, it has resulted in Crariewan obtaining the abilities of a Watcher. Watchers are able to perceive souls and affect them passively or actively, depending on the circumstances. [I am not entirely sure how to explain what a Watcher is, to be honest. This is what I could gather]

After finishing a conversation with Aloth, the other person with a display picture engaged Crariewan in conversation. During said conversation, Eder (the other person) mentions the existence of Old Maerwald, an old Watcher residing in a nearby fortress. He could have insight on Crariewan’s condition and offers to accompany Crariewan since he too wishes to call upon Maerwald’s services.

Since Crariewan is a priestess of Eothas, despite being a nihilistic atheist, I have an additional option in this conversation.

Looks like the offer to new settlers is off the table. No complaints from Crariewan though. She’d probably start a fight with the new neighbours after a week with her background in mind.

Remember Calisca? In a previous conversation with her, she mentioned her intent to find her sister in Gilded Vale to help her out with her problem. To honour the memory of a deceased companion, Crariewan seeks out Calisca’s sister, Aufra.

Crariewan becomes the bearer of bad news here for this encounter.

Callisca’s sister has another problem. She is pregnant and fears that the baby will be Hollowborn. Thus, Aufra seeks the aid of a wise-woman who lives on the nearby coast for any medicine or remedy to fix this. Since Crariewan is a priestess of Eothas (and as a favour to a deceased friend), Crariewan offers her aid in this matter.

With a new quest in mind and the beginning of a party, Crariewan begins her journey! …To investigate the bear cave in part 3.